JTX Mission Air Bike review TL;DR: a formidable full-body workout machine that blends the best features of exercise bikes and elliptical trainers. Be careful, though, as this calorie-busting home gym equipment is loud, much like other air bikes.
JTX Fitness’ new cardio machine, the Mission Air Bike, aims to take on big brand rivals, including the Schwinn Airdyne series and the Rogue Assault Bike, and tries its best to offer the same premium air bike experience as those but for a more reasonable price.
We are happy to report that the JTX Mission Air Bike delivers on its promise and will help you torch fat but it will also make you suffer, a lot. The bike has a small footprint and can be purchased for much cheaper than Schwinn and Rogue bikes, so if you're in the UK and fancy suffering on an air bike, you should definitely consider the JTX Mission Air Bike.
Here is why.
JTX Mission Air Bike review: Price and availability
At the time of writing this review, the recommended retail price of the JTX Mission Air Bike was £999, although it's often sold for less. For the latest prices, please visit JTX Fitness today.
The main features of the JTX Mission air Bike include the heavy-duty steel frame, a fully-adjustable, cushioned seat and non-slip handles that provide comfort even after longer HIIT sessions on the saddle. The Mission Air Bike is also equipped with a ‘6 Core Stats Computer’ preloaded with eight training programs.
Product dimensions (in cm): 122.5L x 55W x 120H
Boxed weight: 63.5 kg
Max user weight: 110 kg
JTX Mission Air Bike review: Ergonomics
Despite being a tall cardio machine, I was surprised just how manoeuvrable the JTX Mission Air Bike is. The handle at the back of the device and the castor wheels at the front made it surprisingly convenient to trolley the bike around at home. Once the bike was set down, I also concluded that it has a relatively small footprint, especially considering it’s not foldable.
Better still, the JTX Mission Air Bike doesn’t require external power connections so that it can be set up anywhere in the home. That said, you will probably want to have it somewhere away from communal areas, as working out on the bike is a loud ordeal. The air resistance creates quite a lot of noise that might be bothersome to others around you.
The handles – which kind of look like antlers – allow four different hand placements so you can target the arm muscles from all different angles during the workout. The seat height and position can all be adjusted, and since the seat is quite large anyway, it will be comfortable to sit on throughout the workout.
The pedals have plastic cages around them but aren’t compatible with the best cycling shoes/cleats. You’re better off wearing the best workout shoes instead.
JTX Mission Air Bike review: Ease of use
Thanks to the self-powered nature of the bike, it can be stored away in a spare room, or a garage when not in use and wheeled into place when it’s in use. Using the JTX Mission Air Bike is as easy as moving either the handles or the pedals: both will turn the computer on.
The computer can also be turned on with the buttons under the LCD screen. The preloaded programs offer a good variety of workouts, and you can always follow along with online workouts using your phone or tablet. A little ledge behind the bottom row of buttons will hold your phone in place.
This is all dandy, but the ledge only allows you to see the screen in portrait mode, which is admittedly not the best way to consume media. Since the bike can get very loud, you will also need to equip the best noise-cancelling headphones to hear the instructions or listen to music.
JTX Mission Air Bike review: Workout performance
Air bikes such as the JTX Mission Air Bike are ideal for CrossFit, HIIT and endurance training. The preloaded programs will bring the heart rate up pretty high and will work all your body in the process. To keep things fresh, you can work either the arms or the legs or both, effectively building muscles everywhere in your body.
Just like in the case of the excellent WaterRower Natural Series, the more effort you put into your workouts, the harder it will get to move the handles/pedals forward. JTX named this Infinity Resistance, and it is true: you won't have to fiddle around with cranking up or dialling down the resistance; it'll automatically be adjusted to your output.
Thanks to the preloaded programmes, you won't have to worry about finding an appropriate workout online. These are nothing special, although I did enjoy the 20/10 and 10/20 split interval training modes.
The JTX Mission Air Bike is compatible with Polar chest straps, and with them, you can feed heart rate data back to the bike, which is then displayed on the LCD screen. The Mission Air Bike is not compatible with the best heart rate monitors from other brands, such as Garmin or Wahoo, at the moment.
JTX Mission Air Bike review: Verdict
The JTX Mission Air Bike is a robust home exercise bike that can provide a full-body workout in itself. It is small enough to be transported around the house if needed and stable enough to stay in place when it’s time to work out on it. The bike doesn’t require an external power source, making it ideal for non-communal spaces such as garage gyms or home gyms set up in spare rooms.
And it is probably best to keep the JTX Mission Air Bike away from communal areas at home as it can generate quite a lot of noise when the fans are going full speed. If you don’t mind the noise – or have a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones at hand – we would recommend getting the JTX Mission Air Bike, especially if you are after a cardio machine that can work your whole body hard.
JTX Mission Air Bike review: Also consider
A CrossFit favourite brand, the Rogue's Echo Bike offers the same functionality as the JTX Mission Air Bike for a similar price. The oversized fan will provide ample amount of resistance and the sturdy frame will withstand some pushing and pulling. There is only one hand position available on Echo Bike, though.
The Schwinn Airdyne AD8 Air Bike features a more detailed screen and nine pre-installed programmes so it can be considered a bit more sophisticated than the JTX Mission Air Bike. It supports two hand positions and has a bottle holder but most usually retails for way more than the JTX model.
